Method of making journal boxes



April 15, 1930. W ET AL METHOD OF MAKING JOURNAL BOXES Filed Aug. 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig 7 /N\/E/\/ TO ES lA/ILLJAM H CHAPMAN,

650/265 0. WARD, a5? W THE/IQ. ATTORNEY.

April 15, 1930. w ET AL 1,754,920 METHOD OF MAKING JOURNAL oxss Filed Aug. 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig % Nfia /N\/ENTO/25; WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN; GEORGE 0. mum;

THE/R ATTOQNEQ Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STTES Parr OFFICE GEORGE D. WARD, OF KEARNY, AND WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN, OF MONTCLAI R, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

A COB-IORATION OF DELAWARE METHOD OF MAKING JOURNAL BOXES Application filed August 3, 1927. Serial No. 210,433.

This invention relates to journal boxes and their method of manufacture and comprises all the featuresand aspects of novelty herein disclosed. If a line shaft box is large enough at the ends for antifriction bearings and is necked down enough centrally to lit in any of the usual shaft hangers, the peculiar shape is such that it has hitherto been necessary to cast it rather than to draw it from sheet metal which would crack or leave some parts of the box too weak. The present invention discloses a sequence of peculiar shapes and proportions into which a flat steel blank can be successively pressed, such that the enlarged ends and narrow central portion of a half box can be drawn or forged and accurately sized without undue strain on the metal, and thus all the advantages of a strong all steel box are secured at much less expense than a cast box. An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved method of making ournal boxes and one that will cheapen the construction, as by making the box in two identical halves drawn from sheet metal. Another object is to devise such a sequence of drawing operation that a strong necked-clown or waisted hanger box can be successfully made entirely of sheet metal.

To these ends and to improve generally upon articles and methods of the character indicated, the invention also consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed. 1

The invention, in its broader aspects, is not necessarily limited to the specific steps and structure disclosed for illustrative purposes.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank.

Figure 2 is a side view and Figure 3 is an end view of the article after the first hot forming operation.

Figure 4 is a side elevation and Figure 5 is an end view of the article after the second hot forming operation. 1

1 Figure 6 is a side elevation and Figure 7 l is an end view of the article after the third hot forming operation.

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the article after the fourth hot forming operation.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the inside of the article after the trimming of the flanges, the machining of the flange surfaces, the drilling of bolt holes and the tapping of the box to receive oil plugs.

Figure 10 is a vertical longitudinal section.

Figure 11 is a central transverse section of the two halves of the box secured together.

Figure 12 is a plan view, partly broken away and in section, of the completed box.

Figure 13 is an edge view of one of the end cap sections and Figure 14 is a face view of the two halves of the end cap riveted together.

As a first step in the sequence of operation. these is cutfrom sheetmetal a blank 2 of generally rectangular form but with the central portion necked down or waisted as at 4 leaving projecting end flanges 6 joined to the waisted portions 4 by arcs 7. The blank is then heated and drawn in a die to hollow out or concave the body portion from end to end including portions of the flanges next to the body portion. Each flange 6 remains flat except in the region of the substantial rectangular area A of Figure 1 which is bent downwardly and inwardly on an are 8. Each flange 6, includ ng its arcuate portion 8, is also stretched a little transversely of the box and the edge of the waisted portion 4 becomesslightly inclined.

Each end portion of the formed piece up to a transverse line 10- 12 adjacent the waisted portion 4 of the blank 2 has vertical side walls 14 pressed from the rectangular portions B of the blank. These walls 14 merge by small arcs 16 with an arcuate bottom portion 18 whose center of curve. ture 19 is substantially in the line oining the edges 4 of the waisted portion. At each side of the transverse center of the blank and in an area of the blank represented approximately by the transverse rectangle C, a bead 20 is formed, the bead being arched inwardly of the box. The side walls 22 of the bead at their high point are straight and slanting, merging with an arcuate portion 24 whose center of curvature 25 is below the center of curvature 19. The central portion of the blank. the area D between the lines 25, and 30, 82, is depressed into a deep teat 34.

The teat has long slanting side walls 36 1nerging by small arcs 38 with a narrow flat bottom 40. Longitudinally of the box, the bottom of the teat 34 merges by arcuate portions 42 with the beads 20 so that between the two lines 1012 of the blank, the metal is longitudinally sinuous or has a reverse curvature which avoids undue strain and cracking of the metal in this and subsequent forming operations. The drawing operation narrows and hollows out the blank and the deep teat and arcuate end portions necessitate some stretching and thinning of the metal but the metal is thickened again in a subsequent operation.

Again heating the piece, now shaped as shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is made shallower as a whole by an operation which may be described as partly drawing and partly for ing; the end portions of the piece are ma e wider and the central portion is made narrower as indicated in Fi ures 4 and 5. The end portions become sufistantially semi-cylindrical, the reviously vertical side walls 14 and the are 8 eing spread out and curved on an are 44 continuous with and concentric with the are 18 of Fi ure 3. The bottom of the head 20 is made 0 greater radius transversely than it was before, the inner wall being curved on an are 46 whose center is at a point 47 which is above the center of curvature 19 of the are 44. The previously slanting side walls 22 are brought closer together and become more nearly vertical as at 48 and the end face of each bead becomes flat to form a deep thrust face 50. The central teat is pushed inwardly and upwardly and flattened and is formed exteriorly with a, central depression 52, an annular spherical face 54 and a thick annular web having an annular spherical outer surface 58. The inner surface of the central part of the box has an annular depression 60 with a hump 62 in the middle and outside of this there is a circular groove (34 of larger diameter and a surface 66 merging with the inner edge of the thrust face 50. Centrally, the outer side walls of the restricted portion of the box have semi-elliptic flat verticalfaces 68. This construction makes the box capable of fitting numerous types of shaft hangers. Otherwise stated, a deep teat is pressed in the center and this is united to shallower and wider end concavities by inwardly arched beads thereby forming a longitudinally sinuous and transversely concave structure at the middle. The end concavities are widened into semi-cylindrical bearing recesses with end flanges, the bottom and sides of the teat are pushed inwardly to make a narrow center with shaft hanger seats and the beads are bent more abruptly inwards to form end, thrust faces.

The piece is heated a third time and again subjected to a die forming operation. The flanges 6 are pushed down nearly in line with the center of curvature 19 but a little material is left on the top of the flanges and fillets 70 are formed on the inside edge of the flanges for machining, thus avoiding any gap at the meeting edges for the finished box sections. The piece is again heated and formed in dies. Teats 72 are pressed outwardly in the middle of the end portions, these teats being perforated as at 7 with a small countersink 76 left on the inside. The piece is conveniently stamped in this operation with the name, size, number, etc. The ends of the flanges 6 are then trimmed at the corners 78. The top faces of the flange are machined so that two halves will fit accurately together with the centers of curvature of the semi-cylindrical portions in line with the meeting flanges. All the flanges are drilled for bolt holes as at 80 and diagonally opposite flanges are drilled as at 82 for dowel pins. One dowel pin 84 is inserted in oneof the openings 82 on each half of the box and the openings 74 are tapped for plugs or oilers. Two halves of the box are then bolted together by bolts 85 and a cylindrical bore 86 is accurately ground in each end portion. The thrust faces 50 are ground true and fiat and an annular recess 88 is machined at each end of the box to receive a sectional end cap. Split roller bearings 90 are inserted in the ends of the box and the ends of the box are spun down into rabbets 90 on annular edge flanges 92 of sectional end rings. Each end ring is made in two halves or sections 94 stamped out of sheet metal. and fitted together to make complete ring. The joint between the two halves is arranged at a slight inclination to the meeting line of the box sections, as indicated at 96 in Figures 10 and 11, so that the end rings will key the box sections against relative longitudinal movement. Drain plugs, are placed in the, tapped openings 74 on the lower half of the box and a fitting for grease or oil is applied to the corresponding openings on the upper half of the box. Inasmuch as the successful formation of a necked-down box from sheet metal may require the peculiar shapes and sequence of operations, because of the necessarily severe working-of the metal, it may be stated without limitation that a blank 10% inches by 7- inches and inch thick can be drawn into the shapes illustrated, all the figures of the drawing being made to half scale for full disclosure of one successful series of shapes and proportions. Hot rolled steel having a carbon content of .15 to 20% and a: nickel content of .50 to .75% is suitable material and drawing and forging temperatures may be from 1400 to 1500 F.

We claim:

1. The method of making a narrow center, hanger box from flat sheet steel which consists in pressing at the center of a, blank a deep teat united to shallower and wider concavities at the end portions by inwardly arched beads, and then pressing the teat inwardly to form a narrow center with a shaft hanger seat; substantially as described.

2. The method of making a narrow center hanger box from flat sheet steel which consists in pressing at the center of a blank a deep teat united to shallower and wider concavities at the end portion by inwardly arched beads, pressing the teat inwardly to form a seat and widening out the end portions to form bearing recesses terminating in thrust faces; substantially as described.

3. The method of making a narrow center hanger box from fiat sheet steel which consists in pressing at the center of a blank a deep teat and at the end portions shallower and wider concavities, pressing the bottom and sides of the teat inwardly to make a waisted portion and widening the end concavities into semi-cylindrical bearing recesses; substantially as described.

4. The method of making a narrow center hanger box from flat sheet steel whichconsists in cutting out a rectangular blank with a restricted central portion, pressing at the center a deep teat and at the end portions shallower and wider concavities with side flanges, pressing the teat inwardly to make a narrow central seat and pressing the end concavities and a portion of the side flanges into semi-cylindrical bearing recesses; substantially as described.

5. The method of making a narrow center hanger box from fiat sheet steel which consists in concaving a blank to form end recesses united by a longitudinally sinuous central portion, and then pressing the sinuous central portion inwardly to make a narrow center section with thrust faces at its ends;

' substantially as described.

6. The method of making a narrow center I hanger box from fiat sheet steel which con lit) sists in concaving a blank to form end recesses united by a longitudinally sinuous central portion, widening out the end recesses to form semi-cylindrical bearing surfaces, and pressing the sinuous central portion inwardly to make a narrow center section; substantially as described.

7. The method of making a narrow center hanger box from fiat sheet steel which consists in concaving a blank to form end recesses united by a longitudinally sinuous and transversely concave central portion comprising a deep teat and inwardly arched beads, and pressing the teat and beads inwardly to make a narrow center section with thrust faces at its ends; substantially as described.

8. The method of making a narrow center hanger box from flat sheet steel which consists in pressing at the center of a blank a deep teat having long slanting side walls and a fiat bottom, pressing at the end portions of the blank concavities having vertical side signatures.

GEORGE D. WVARD. WVILLIAM H. CHAPMAN. 

